Goodhue County, Minnesota - Chapter 9: Danger Apprehended, 1893

Chapter 9: Danger Apprehended

In the summer of 1850 a report came to Red Wing's village that a party of Chippewas were coming upon us. Then "there was hurrying to and fro in hot haste." All the men gathered their weapons of war and took their canoes and were soon out of sight, in some hiding place along the river. The women and children taking what valuables they could carry, ascended Barn bluff, where they gathered stones and other missiles for selfdefense.

The few white inhabitants were not very much alarmed; yet we kept a good look-out for several hours, but no Chippewas appeared. The report was founded upon the fact that some one had seen at a distance, what he took to be a Chippewa, which was probably a defect of vision, as no enemy appeared.

After the Indians had been removed and the place occupied by white settlers, fears were entertained by some of the latter that there Avas some danger of a night attack by the former inhabitants. There were some grounds for such fears. The Red Wing band had, as a body, opposed the selling their title to this country. The graves of their kindred dead were here. This had been for many years their hunting ground. The majority of them were born here. It was natural they should desire to remain liere.

When the council was called to meet the United States commissioners at Mendota for the purpose of a treaty, the people were much excited and many angry words were expressed. The young braves, it was said, had threatened to shoot the chief wiio should first attempt to sign any paper or treaty that would oblige them to remove farther west. Some were willing the whites should have a part of the land, but they wanted their reservation to include the present planting ground with adjacent territory sufficient for hunting purposes.

They met the commissioners at Mendota, and after the delay of several days a treaty Avas consummated, and signed by sixty-four names designated as "chiefs, head-men, and warriors." By this treaty they agreed to remove to a reservation upon the head waters of the Minnesota river. Why was no one killed? The following circumstances will answer the question.

That council was held under the walls of Fort Snelling in the presence of a band of United States soldiers. The Indians were subsisted during the time on fresh beef and flour furnished by the United States Government. They were told they should have schools, farming implements, and money - $20,000 in cash - to be paid to them the next day after signing the treaty. One remark in a speech made by Col. Luke Lea on the occasion will solve the whole question. Col. Lea, one of the commissioners appointed by the President, said: "Suppose your great father (the President) wanted your lands and did not want a treaty for your good. He could come with 100,000 men and drive you off to the Rocky mountains. But your great father loves his red children as he does his white children, and he wishes us to make a treaty Avhich he knows will

The truth, I think, is that not one of the seven bands concerned in that treaty would have given their consent to the same had they not felt compelled to do it. But after their removal the Red Wing Indians did not return to do any mischief among the white settlers. Some who are noAv living can remember how quietly they acquiesced in the general contiagration which consumed all the bark tepees in the village in the spring of 1853. The few who returned that season made no signs of ill temper; but went and rebuilt in other places where the whites would not use the land.

The people of this country, since its early settlement, can congratulate themselves that they were never seriously molested by the former inhabitants. There were two frights, however, in Red Wing. The first was on this wise.

A wedding had occurred under peculiar circumstances in regard to one of the parties, and after night had far advanced, and the people of this thriving little burg were nearly all asleep, a band of boys and young men assembled by a previous agreement to give the newly married couple what is called a "charivarie." Some had learned how to give the Indian war-whoop, or, at least, could give a good imitation of it. This, with the noise of a few tin pans accompanying, soon awoke the sleepers in the neighboring houses. One man, a young lawyer, on waking, was immediately impressed with the thought of Indians. Telling his wife to dress and go to the river and escape in a skiff. Without waiting to dress himself, he took his loaded revolver and bounded into the street determined to sell his life as dearly as possi- ble. He rushed to the shelter of a clump of bushes which stood between him and the place whence the sounds came, and waited the attack. A short interval between the whoops revealed the sound of familiar voices, talking plain English. The truth soon came to his mind, and he returned to his home before his wife had made her escape. Others remembered the wedding soon enough to escape being much frightened.

The whole town was stirred at the time the news came of the Spirit Lake massacre. A public meeting was called to devise measures for putting the place in a state of defense. No Indians appeared, and after a few days the people slept again in peace.

Spirit Lake Massacre

The Dakotas of Red Wing's village used to say that "although they killed the Chippewas whenever they found any, they nor any of their tribe ever killed a white person." Perhaps this was true at the time it was told us in 1850. But not many years later in March, 1857, there occurred at Spirit Lake, in the northwestern part of Iowa, a terrible scene. In the spring of 1856, a company of men, consisting of G. W. Granger, Bartel Snyder and Isaac Harriett, went from Red Wing to Spirit Lake to select claims and lay out a town. The fall of that year saw seven cabins built around that lake, all of which were occupied. The three young men from Red AVing above named occupied one of the cabins, keeping baciielor's hall.

A Mr. Thacher and family. Marble and family, Mattox and family, Judge Howe and family, a Mr. Gardner and family, and Mr. Noble and family, each occupied separate cabins.

On Sunday, the 8th of March, a band of roving outlaws, under the leadership of an ex-communicated Dakota, named Inkpaduta, came to the cabin which was occupied by men only and asked for beef. Understanding, as they afterward claimed, tliat they could take one of the cattle, they did so, and commenced cutting it up, when one of the Avhite men came out and knocked the Dakota down. The white man was immediately shot in retaliation. Surrounding the house, the Indians set fire to the roof and killed the occupants ns they attempted to escape from the burning building. Other authorities say there was no beef demanded; that Inkpaduta was not assaulted by the white men, but that the attack was instigated solely and simply by Indian treachery and thirst for blood. This version of the afPair is reported by Isaac Lauver, W. W. DeKay, and others wlio went down to Spirit Lake from Bed Wing as soon as they heard of the massacre, to bring the remains of the murdered victims, and look after the claim interests.

These murderers went next to a cabin occupied by Mr. Gardner and his family and asked for food. Their request was granted, and while they were disposing of the food given, Mr. Gardner's son-in-law and another man who was there went out to see if everything was right at the neighboring cabin. This was their last mission; a part of the Indians lying in ambush shot and killed them also. After securing all the food the cabin contained they left Gardner's, but returned again the latter part of the afternoon and killed Gardner, his wife, two daughters, and his grandchildren, carrying away as prisoner the other daughter, named Abby. The same night or the next morning they visited the homes of Noble and Thaclier and carried Mrs. Noble and Mrs. Thacher prisoners to their camp. The following Thursday, March 12, an Indian called at Marble's cabin, three miles above Thacher's, and told Mrs. Marble that the white people down on the lake had been killed. This intelligence alarmed the family, the more so as the great depth of snow had prevented any communication Avith the other settlers for some days; but it was impossible to inaugurate any measures for flight or means of safety. The next morning four Indians with friendly appearance came to Mai-ble's and bantered him to trade rifles. The trade was made, after which they prevailed on Marble to go down to the lake and shoot at a mark. After a few shots they turned in the direction of the house, and managing to get Marble in advance they shot him and he fell dead in his tracks. Mrs. Marble, who had been watching the maneuvering of the bloody tiends, saw her husband fall and ran to him. The wretches siezed her, telling her they would not kill her but they would take her with them, and she was carried to the camp where they had previously taken Mrs. Noble, Mrs. Thacher, and Miss Gardner.

Inkpaduta and his followers went next to Springfield, where they surprised and murdered the whole settlement, consisting of over thirty inhabitants. The news was sent to Fort Ridgely and a detachment of U. S. troops were sent out in pursuit of the murderous band. Learning that soldiers were after them the outlaws made haste to leave the vicinity of their depredations, taking the four captive women along with them. Mrs. Marble and Miss Gardner were afterwards permitted to return to their surviving friends and civilization. The other two, Mrs. Thacher and Mrs. Noble, were relieved

Only one of this murderous band was killed by the IT. S. soldiers who were sent to punish them. That was a son of Inkpaduta, who was shot and killed while escaping from a camp on Yellow Medicine river. The rest of the gang managed to escape jjrobably into the Dominion of Canada. The two captixe women were redeemed and brought to the white settlements by some friendly Indians.